DINING OUT

SEAFOOD restaurants in Pattaya are as ubiquitous as seashells on a beach, and just as searching for the perfect, unbroken conch can take several hours, seeking out a decent eatery you want to return to here can take several days. Visit Moom Talay Thai Restaurant, though, and you’ll find it’s not only an 'unbroken conch,' but actually a giant clam of a discovery – that is, one of the best places in town for enjoying some delicious Thai seafood at great value for money.

Located overlooking the sands on Beach Road, Moom Talay is operated by Khun Naiyana, whose hubby, Luca Marchetti, runs the popular Toscana Italian restaurant located next door. A formidable culinary team, the duo opened Moom Talay seven years ago simply as a hobby restaurant, but thanks to its focus on fresh, local ingredients, not to mention hearty portions at reasonable prices, it has become a thriving business much loved by Thais and foreigners alike.

The menu is swimming with all kinds of deep sea delights prepared in numerous mouth-watering ways.

Sweet-tangy flavours abound in the crunchy and crispy Fluffy catfish served with spicy and sour mango salad (B250); meat slips from the bone in the Sea bass with fish sauce (B420); and a delightful spicy kick is delivered with every slurp of the Spicy lemongrass and basil soup with seafood (B220). The Stir fried crab with black pepper (B490) further stokes the pleasant piquant fire.

If you prefer your meat from the land, the restaurant also has plenty of other options to choose from, including a particularly good Quail fried with black pepper (B290), which boasts a gamey-wild flavour tempered with peppers.

Dessert lovers, meanwhile, will be delighted with the range of Thai and European sweets on offer, such as Sago and black beans in coconut cream (B120) and Chocolate mousse (B150).

Borrowing design influences from its sister restaurant, Moom Talay has a rustic interior very much styled on an Italian trattoria (think exposed brickwork, vintage posters, a warm colour scheme of browns, beiges and terracotta, and even a Vespa parked inside), and as a result boasts a wonderfully laid back atmosphere just perfect for whiling away an afternoon or evening in the company of family or friends.